Melee the Show is going into its seventh year holding true to its founding principle—offering the jewelry industry a relaxed, easy-to-navigate trade show where people mingle, shop, and sip champagne.
“People often see Melee as jewelry summer camp,” says Lauren Wolf (left at top), who created Melee in 2017 with her friend and fellow designer Rebecca Overmann (right). “You get to see friends. Everyone looks forward to being there. It’s a community that’s very unique, and we’re happy to share it. This is the show for the jeweler’s jeweler.”
Wolf and Overmann say this year’s Melee the Show, to be held Aug. 7-9 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, will be the toast of New York City, especially since every jeweler showing there will have access to champagne daily.
The first edition of Melee had 13 exhibitors, but the 2024 event will showcase more than 75 fine jewelers and designers from around the globe. It also has two key supporters in its sponsors, De Beers and Stuller.
Participating designers this year include Ellis Mhairi Cameron, Anthony Lent, Alice Clarke, januka, Dorian & Rose, Martha Seely, Alex Fitz, Erica Molinari, Heather B. Moore, Jennie Kwon Designs, Lika Behar Collection, Pyrrha, Sethi Couture, Tap by Todd Pownell, Ten Thousand Things, White Space, and Zahava Heirlooms.
“Lauren and I started the show after attending many, many trade shows and just not being able to do it anymore,” Overmann says. “There’s the packing, the unpacking, the printing of line sheets, and so much more.… Melee is manageable, and that’s what I want for designers.”
Buyers also enjoy the experience, she says. What makes Melee different from other trade shows is its vibe, say Wolf and Overmann: It is luxurious, but it also provides a relaxed environment where buyers can have conversations, shop as they wish, and learn all about the designers and makers at the show.
“We really try to find a much more curated selection of designers that sit well together and share the same space in stores,” Overmann says. “It’s about matching those designers with the right buyers in a way that’s cohesive and complementary without being too competitive.”
The Melee founders say its success has been rewarding, yet they remain committed to keeping it relatively small, presenting a carefully selected roster of fine jewelry designers, and emphasizing skill as well as aesthetics.
“These are jewelers who sit at their benches making jewelry—making truly amazing work with amazing perspectives. It’s a great show for that reason,” Wolf says. “These jewelers have prepared their work throughout the year, and they’re ready to show off. It’s a venue and a platform to showcase the best.”
Melee also takes place in Tucson, Ariz., and Paris. Melee Paris, which will hold its second show in late September, brings together 15 to 20 jewelers in an intimate setting; about 30 jewelers will be featured at the fourth edition of the Tucson show, coming up in February.
(Photos courtesy of Melee the Show)
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